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Using a mobile phone - It is illegal to drive, or be in the car with the engine on, holding a phone in your hand

Both drivers were assessed on how well they coped with some of the most common distractions drivers face on the road in Britain.

These results highlight just how important it is that drivers give their full attention to the road ahead

Steve Fowler, Auto Express editor-in-chief

These distractions were assessed as the pair completed timed laps of a track – braking at a specific point.

The most distracting task was found out to be entering a postcode into a Sat Nav.

Following this was sending a text message, which is also illegal.

Other tasks carried out during the test included eating, drinking, making a phone call and talking to a passenger.

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Changing the postcode on a sat nav was decided as the most distracting thing a driver can do

Talking to a passenger turned out too be the least distracting activity but it still affected the driver’s reactions.

Tim said: “It was the least distracting of all in terms of lap times, but interestingly, both drivers failed to brake accurately at the target line.

“Their ability to drive normally confirms the difference between the extra distraction of a phone conversation and the natural act of talking to a passenger, but still shows that any distraction reduces attention, and in an emergency, it might be critical.”

Steve Fowler, Auto Express editor-in-chief, said: “These results highlight just how important it is that drivers give their full attention to the road ahead.

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Chatting to passengers can reduce the reaction time of a driver

“We’ve seen the staggering numbers of people who are still using phones at the wheel and these tests show how dangerous they can be – whether it’s texting, calling or programming the sat-nav.

“More work needs to be done to target those who still think it’s acceptable to use a phone while driving.”

Tim Shallcross said: “There was still a significant speed reduction for Joe when using a sat-nav, and even the ultra-focused Jamie completely missed the stop line.

“The moral? Those warning screens about not entering details on the move are there for a reason – don’t ignore them.”